Out Mowing
Today we went and mowed the tracks around the reed beds, a job that hasn’t been done for a few years. We are getting in there before they become a really tough job to get back into order. Mind you they are overgrown and a bit of a labyrinth with plenty of sharp drops to avoid. Because of this James and Kate walked ahead through the deep grass and reed to show where the edges were and I drove at a breakneck speed of 0.5 mph. Listening to the Formula 1 on the radio gave a nice contrast to the super slow mowing.
The tracks are not just for access and to allow management of the area, their structure is important within the habitat as a whole. The reed beds at Wicken are pretty large at over 30 hectares, and contain a diverse range of species from the Reed Leopard Moth to the Bittern. The tracks allow for a larger amount of edge to the reeds and grasses, and in simple terms the diversity of the reed beds increases at the edges, so the more the better.
Below are some pictures taken today:
I should point out that the tracks are not for access into the reedbeds. So please don’t go hunting for them.
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